Education Funding

12:00 pm

Tue February 5, 2013

Yesterday Ross talked to the Republican Senate chair of the Early Learning and K-12 Education committee. Today he follows up with Democratic State Senator Rosemary McAuliffe. How do Republicans and Democrats differ in their goals and strategies for improving state education?

Education

10:00 am

Tue February 5, 2013

Despite a state Supreme Court ruling that Washington is underfunding public education to the tune of $1 billion, state legislators so far seem to be talking more about policy changes than new dollars. Highline School District Superintendent Susan Enfield sat on the state's Joint Task Force on Education Funding. Their report is in. What now? Susan Enfield joins us with her thoughts about how the state should move forward.

12:04 pm

Mon February 4, 2013

Washington state is under a state Supreme Court mandate to adequately fund K-12 education. But Democrats and Republican disagree over increasing funding versus guaranteeing the money is used well. Ross Reynolds talks with Republican State Senator Steve Litzow who chairs the Early Learning and K-12 Education committee about what is being done to fund K-12 education.

Education

12:00 pm

Wed January 30, 2013

By law, children in Washington state don’t have to attend school until they’re 8 years old. In every other state, besides Pennsylvania, children have to attend school when they’re younger — usually 6 or 7, sometimes even 5. Now a group of lawmakers wants to lower Washington’s compulsory age of education from 8 years old to 6 years old. The bill’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning and today Ross talks to the main sponsor of the bill, Renton Democrat and state Representative Marcie Maxwell.

Education Reform

9:04 am

Mon January 28, 2013

OLYMPIA, Wash. – One of the key battles shaping up in Olympia this year is over education reform. The Senate’s new majority coalition is proposing a series of measures aimed at getting better results in the classroom. Among the ideas: a state takeover of failing schools. Meanwhile, a key Senate Democrat says the focus should be on school funding – and proposes a new capital gains tax.

Next month, Seattle voters will be asked to renew two expiring levies to fund Seattle Public Schools. Proposition 1 would raise nearly $552 million over three years to fund day-to-day expenses like textbooks, transportation and student activities. Proposition 2 would raise nearly $695 million over six years to pay for building renovations, earthquake safety improvements and security cameras. The two levies combined would cost the owner of a $400,000 home an additional $152 per year in property taxes. Should Seattle voters renew the levies? We'll take up Prop 1 and Prop 2.

8:00 pm

Thu January 24, 2013

Finland’s public education system consistently ranks among the top in the world in terms of achievement and efficiency. Professor Pasi Sahlberg’s presentation talks about what the United States can learn from Finland, where education policies focus more on professional development rather than standardized tests, and pedagogy above technology. Sahlberg spoke at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on November 14, 2012.

The Seattle School District warned teachers Wednesday they face a 10 day suspension without pay if they refuse to give students the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. The announcement came nearly two weeks after the teaching staff at Garfield High School announced they were refusing to give students the district-wide MAP test.

Warning To Teachers

4:28 pm

Wed January 23, 2013

The Seattle School District announced Wednesday that teachers may be suspended for 10 days without pay if they fail to give students the Measures of Academic Progress test. Following the announcement, teachers rallied outside district headquarters to demand that the district stop using the MAP test.

Clarification: This story has been changed to clarify School Board President Kay Smith-Blum’s thoughts on educational delivery models, including one advocated by the charter school company Rocketship Education.

In 1991, a small group of local CEOs sat down with Seattle Public Schools officials to ask how the CEOs could help the struggling district. "At that time Seattle Public Schools weren’t even wired – I mean, wired for telephones, in some cases. It was really sort of a Dark Ages problem," said Sue Tupper, the first executive director of the Seattle Alliance for Education.

Higher Education

10:00 am

Tue January 22, 2013

Increases in tuition and investment shortfalls have left Washington state's Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program with a nearly 20 percent funding gap. Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom says it's time for the state to get out of the prepaid tuition business. Tom says that if everyone now enrolled in the program wanted their money right now, the program would be short $631 million. The State Actuary puts the chances of GET not being able to meet its obligations at about one percent. Should Washington state end the GET program? We take a closer look.

Standardized Testing

12:20 pm

Mon January 14, 2013

A group of teachers at Ballard High School in Seattle has come out in support of Garfield High School teachers' refusal to give students the district-mandated Measures of Academic Progress standardized test. The teachers say the test is useless and shouldn't factor in to teacher evaluations. Ross Reynolds talks with educators and education experts on both sides of the issue.

Standardized Testing

12:19 pm

Mon January 14, 2013

Seattle Public Schools officials and the company that produces the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test are defending the school district's use of the standardized test after Garfield High School teachers refused to give it to their students this quarter.